Thomas Braden

Thomas Braden (22 February 1917-3 April 2009) was an American CIA official, journalist, and co-host of CNN's Crossfire from 1978 to 1989. Born in Dubuque, Iowa, he decided to join the British Army while the USA was still neutral during World War II, fighting in North Africa. When the US entered the war, he worked for the OSS and the CIA to help the French Resistance, and he later served in the CIA during the Korean War and helped to build anti-communism in the labor movement. He left the CIA in 1954 and became active in California Democratic politics, and he served as President of the California Board of Education during the 1960s. In 1968, he supported Robert F. Kennedy during his presidential campaign, and he was placed on Richard Nixon's list of political anemies. From 1978 to 1989, he was the liberal voice on Crossfire, with Pat Buchanan representing the conservatives from 1978 until his departure in 1984. Braden left in 1989 and died in Denver, Colorado in 2009.